Floor tile and floor construction



Dec. 25, 1923. 1,478,872

G. G. GREULAlcH FLOOR TILE AND FLOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed July 5, 1921 patented @ce 25, i923.

GERALD G. GRE'ULICH, CDF CLEVELAND, l'.

FLGE, AND' FLQR CRSTRUCTION.

Application filed .uly 5,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, GERALD Genomen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovement in Floor Tiles and Floor Constructions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawmee This invention relates to tloor tiles and to lloor constructions embodying such tiles. More particularly, my invention is concerned with the provision ol tile and concrete lloors, wherein concrete joists are supportedl in parallel rows and are bridgedy by hollow tile.

One of the methods heretofore employed for constructing doors is to pour concrete joists, substantiallyv rectan. lar in cross section, in built-up forms w ich are removed and discarded after the concrete has set.

.Usually these joists are arranged in equally spaced, parallel rows, andare bridged by sections of tile which are considerably less in thickness than the depth ol the joists. In constructing a floor according to this method, l have found that considerable time is required in placing and removing the forms; that a needless amount oit concrete is employed by constructing rectangular joists, and that frequently ka soit piece must be secured between the joists alter the forms are removed. Furthermore, ll haveA found that in a construction ol this character, it is diicult toaccurately position the reinforcing steel within the joists, and accordingly the joists are) liable to be materially weakened.

One of the objects of my invention therefore, is 'the provision of a floor having joists which are supported in parallel rows, and which are arranged to be bridged by tile which interlock with the concerto in each row. ln this connection, the tiles to be used extend the entire depth of the joist and themselves provide a 'form into lwhich the concrete may be poured, thereby elimnat ing the 'necessity lor temporary forms.

Another object is the provision or' a form of joist which ellccts quite a material sav ingr in concrete, and at the same time possesses sudicient strength to carry the floor load. ln this connection the cross-section shape of the joist is adapted to `Ifacilitate the positioning of the steel reinforcement so raar. senat ,ya teaser..

that Vthe concrete while being poured will not move the lower steel rods and thereby cause them to be so positioned that they are uncovered when they concrete dries..

Still another object is the provision of a tile, which may be l'ormed on customary t1le forming machinery, and which may be provided with suitable bracing members for transmitting the load stresses directly to the' joists, without requiring the center lines of the joists to be positioned closer together than is employed with present terms of construction.

ln carrying out :my invention, l employ rows of tile, each tile being approximatelyv the depth or the joist to be employed, and l position the tile in parallel rows equally spaced, and such distanceA apart that the space between them is ol the proper size for a concrete joist to be poured therein. Extending across the space between adjacent rows of tile, and in a plane with the bottom thereof, l prefer to provide soiit pieces which automatically space the adjacent tile, and form a bottom for receiving the concrete, and at the saine time provide a surface which is readily adapted to receive plaster on the exposed side thereof.

ln placing the tile, the only form work required comprises a horizontal table which may be rough planhing supported by the floor beneath. After the tiles are arranged in parallel rows and the so'i'lt pieces positioned between the rows, the steel reinforcement is placed in the usual manner and the concrete poured. The tile itsel'l constitutes the form, and at the same time provides a strong surface on which the nien may work during the pouring operation.

The means for accomplishinel the above objects will be more fully-set forth in the following description, which relates to the drawing, and the essential characteristics or my invention whichinclude the method, the floor, andthe tile will be set forth in the claims.

l'n the drawings, l is a plan of a lloor constructed .in accordance with my invention; 2 is a cross section through one of the joists, showingf detail the interlocking features between the concrete' and tile; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a form of tile employed; and Fig. l in an enlarged section through one ot the joists.

My invention contemplates, in general9 isin the middle, and that the4 tile positioned on 'each side thereof, is interlockedl not only by the serrations in the f ace oil, the tile, but also by the peculiar shape of the verticalfaces which are adjacent the joist. In Fig. 4 particularly, it is to be noted that shoulders 14 are provided adja cent the bottom of the joist, and that the vertical face 15 of the ,tile is'positioned directly above the shoulders. Near the upper part of the j-oist I ,provide shoulders 16 which are'lared outwardly with a grad al curve corresponding with the shape of tllat portion of the tile adjacent the top corners thereof.

In constructing a joist according to the plan mentioned, there is quite a material saving of concrete, because of the fact that the middle portion of the joist is materially reduced in Width. A joist having a form of this character possesses suflcicnt strength yto withstand any shearing stresses incident to floor loads between the supporting girders, and at the same time provides sufficient concrete, to withstand the bending moments, the tcp flange taking care of the com lpressive stresses resulting from. positive moment at centers of spans and the bottom flange 'taking care of compression stresses resulting from negative moment at points of support.

Positioned between adjacent joists I pro vide rows oftile indicated generally at 20. Each tile is shown as comprising a hollow member, open at both ends, and as having a top face 21 a bottom face 22, and side walls composed of intermediate vertical portions 15, upper inclined portions 17 and rounded shoulders 18, and lower inclined portions 19 and nearly vertical but slightly inwardly inclined portions 29. rThere are also internal webs 25.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tiles are posi- -tioned end to end, intermedia-te the `ioists, and in the manner now employed for laying tile for similar floor construction. Each tile is shown as extending from the top to the bottom of the joist, and as loeinginain tained in spaced relation to each other. prior to the pouring of the concrete, by the soliit pieces 12.

Since the load stresses on a beam supported at both ends vary uniformly with the distances from the point of support, I have provided inclined bracing members 25, which extend from the top to the bottom of the tile and throughout the entire length thereof. 'In Figs. 2 and 3 it i-s to be note-d that the points of engagement between the inclined members and the top surface of the tile, as at 26, are approximately equally spaced, with relation to the top shoulders 18, and with relation to each other. At the bottom, however, the incline( membersdo not extend to the corners o the tile, but are each spaced inwardly therefrom, as at 28, whereby sufficient space may be pro- 4vided between the wall 15 and the inclined members'for the insertion of pipes, conduit, and similar material.

The soiit pieces 12 are preferably the same length 4as thel tile, and as shown in Fig. 4, are serrated, as at 30, 31, along the top and bottom surfaces thereof. The serrations are made in accordance with the usual dovetail `joint construction to enable -rectly beneath the room in which the floor' is to be laid. Sections of tiles 20 are then laid end to end, in parallel rows, upon-the platform and are maintained in such spaced relation by soflit pieces 12, which are laid on the platform and between adjacent rows of tile. The' reinforcement 13 is then suspended between the tile and concrete poured around such reinforcement. In pourlng the concrete it is to be noted, thatthe lower corners on the vertical faces 15 prevent the reinforcement from moving laterally with relation to the joists.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a door which effects a material saving in concrete, and thereby materially lessons the dead weight per square'foot of iloo: area and consequently decreases the amount of steel work required for building; that I have rovided a Hoor, whereiny the tile employed) constitutes the form work for receiving the concrete, and wherein the erection costs are considerably reduced. Furthermore, it will be seen that I have provided a tile which is so constructed, that it is light yet strong enough to provide a floor to work on, until the final fill and finish are applied. In this connection the tile is well adapted for cut ting various sizes of holes, through which suitable conduit may extend Without effect- In laying the tile it is com- -1 portlons.

aving thus described my invention, I-

inglthe .load carrying strength of the floor.

c aim: c

l. A onepiece' building tile comprising parallel. top Vand bottom faces, the'top face being narrower than the bot-tom face, and connecting faces each having the mid-portion thereof in a plane at right angles to the top and bottom, the mid-portion of each connecting face being joined to, the top face' by an oblique surface, and to the bottom face bysurfaces lying in intersecting` planes, one of said planes being parallel to the plane of the mid-portion, andthe other of said planes lying 'approximately at right angles to the plane of the oblique surface.

. 2. A one-piece building tile having the ends thereof open and having parallel top and bottom surfaces with sides extending therebetween, the top and bottom surfaces terminating short of Vthe extreme width,

whereby the central portion overhangsl the bottom, said central portion lying in a plane at right angles to thetop surface, an an oblique surface joining the .top and ce tral 3. A one-piece buildin tile comprising parallel .top and bottom aces and parallel $0 end faces, the end faces terminating short of the top and bottom faces and having oblique surfaces` diverging from the end faces and extending toward the top `and bottom faces respectively, said oblique surfaces lying i'n planes approximately at right angles to each other, the lower oblique surface terminating short of t-he bottom face and the upper oblique surface merging with the top face.

4. A one-piece buildingtile having parallel top and bottom surfaces and `having sides comprising two approximately `parallel portions one overhanging the other and connected thereto by an oblique surface, both of said arallel portions lying in planes substantlally at right angles to the top and beyond the side edges thereof;

5, A one-'piece building tile having parallel top and bottom surfaces and having sides eachV comprising at least two approxi# mately parallel portions, one of which overhangs the bottom of the tile and lies in a plane at right angles to the top and' bottom surfaces, the other of which -extends inwardly from the bottom of the tile, and an oblique surface extending between said parallel side portions.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiix my signature. Y

GERALD G. GREULICH. 

